15 – Minute Manipal Campus City

The Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Udupi, Karnataka, is a multidisciplinary educational city. Spanning a footprint of 313 acres, the university supports a population of over 35,000 students across five diverse faculties. The university had three flagship campuses: Health Sciences Campus, Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) Campus and T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI). While the university serves as a regional landmark for innovation, its physical growth over several decades has resulted in a fragmented urban fabric where campuses are segregated by both administrative boundaries and major regional infrastructure. 

Currently, the Udupi – Agumbe Highway (NH-169A) serves as a major arterial corridor that bisects the university, needing a safe and accessible approach to integrate high-volume regional transit with campus mobility. The Health Sciences Campus functions as an “open campus”, requiring enhanced measures for universal accessibility and traffic management. Similarly, MIT Campus functions as a “closed” campus where internal movement is currently reliant on a centralized shuttle and buggy system. High-traffic nodes like Tiger Circle present opportunities for significant infrastructure upgrades, specifically in the areas of continuous pedestrian networks, universal access, and weather-protected non-motorise transport (NMT) corridors. The “15-Minute Campus City” initiative aims to resolve these connectivity gaps by transitioning from a vehicle-oriented landscape to a integrated, walkable, and student-centric environment. 

Jana Urban Space serves as the strategic urban design partner to develop the campus master plan by integrating MAHE’s core principles into a unified spatial strategy. Their role includes conducting a detailed landscape study, identifying underutilized spaces, engaging stakeholders through focus group discussions, and creating detailed design development proposals. They are also responsible for identifying and designing “Quick-Win” projects to provide immediate improvements to campus mobility and sustainability.

• To achieve the “15-Minute Campus City” vision, the project employs a multi fold approach, ranging from regional transit integration to micro-level public space interventions. The strategy is built upon the MSPI (Move, Sustain, Play, Identity) framework:

  i. Mobility & Connectivity (MOVE)

  • Tender S.U.R.E. street upgrades: Implementing Tender S.U.R.E.  standards on major internal roads (such as the Manipal Drive, PNK Marga). This includes continuous, unobstructed shaded footpaths, dedicated cycle tracks, and organized utility ducts for seasmless movement of people and utilities. 
  • Intersection redesign: Reconfiguring the university’s primary gateway and key nodes such as coin circle to resolve modal conflicts. 

  ii. Ecological Resilience & Landscape (SUSTAIN)

  • Blue-green infrastructure: Leveraging Manipal’s high-precipitation climate by integrating nature-based solutions. This includes bioswales for natural stormwater filtration, retention ponds to mitigate summer water scarcity, and the preservation of existing green buffers.

  iii. Public Realm (PLAY)

  • Redevelopment of public spaces: Enhancing legacy public spaces like KMC Greens, fountain plaza to serve as multi-functional hubs for recreation, formal university events, and informal social interaction.
  • Collaborative pods: Transforming underutilized outdoor spaces across campuses into “Ideation Plazas.” These areas are proposed to be equipped with modular smart furniture and Wi-Fi zones to facilitate learning outside the classroom.

  iv. Institutional Identity & Wayfinding (IDENTITY)

  • Unified wayfinding system: Developing a cohesive signage and information system across all three campuses to improve orientation and reinforce the university’s global brand.
  • Gateway interventions: Designing distinct entry markers and landmark points that provide a clear sense of arrival at the Health Sciences and Science & Technology precincts.